Since  we’re also closing out the decade, I thought, rather than focus how much things collapsed in the last six months, I’d prefer to look at how much I achieved in this decade.

I went from someone who had completed the first draft of one novel and very little else to someone with 5 completed novel drafts (some edited and ready now, some that will never see the light of day), wrote over 39 short stories and novellas, and went from unpublished to published in both the traditional and indie settings (more in the trad than indie). I was also president of the Vision Writers Group for four years (and still a member). I also had two beautiful children, went on some wonderful travels (best of all a trip to Japan), and generally had a pretty good time, even reaching 15 years service with my day job employer.

Now we’re in 2020 both my kids will be at school, which means I can put more time into my writing, but also need to buckle down and get some more ‘day job’ work done too.

So now, without further ado, my writing goals for 2020:

  • Finish (at least) the next three books in the Charming for Hire series and get books 1-5 ready for publishing
  • Finish The Troll’s Toll sequel (I’ve had a few people asking after this but have been trying to get the two antagonists to stop being such limp noodles) and publish, then get a leg on with the final book of the trilogy
  • Keep on keeping on with the short stories
  • Keep learning
  • Work with more pro editors – I really want this. I plan to hire one or two for freelance work. Technically this could fall under ‘keep learning’, but I don’t want to let it slip into that and go missing.

With a stretch goal of – if time allows – fixing up Glass Slippers for publication

I’m really going to work harder on following Heinlein’s business rules for authors too.

How was your decade? What are your goals for 2020?

Keep an eye out for the next couple of days for my ‘Favourites of 2019’ in books, games, and anime.